Down with the Bloody Black King
by whysosiriusblack45
Summary: A terrible force has taken over Underland, ten times as terrible as the Red Queen. Alice is not there to save them, and the White Queen is powerless to stop the new tyrants. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

disclaimer: i dont own alice in wonderland or anything that tim burton's fantastic mind has ever created. unfortunately.

(i wish i owned tarrant. :) i love him most deeply)

this story will have lemons later on probably, but not now, seeing how its only the first chapter. AlicexTarrant will prevail! I promise!!!

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Blood.

I never liked blood. Even when I go into my mad rages, blood is one of the things with which my ardent hate remains the same. It's disconcerting, blood is. It's the juice of life that keeps our hearts beating, and the fact that it would be going anywhere outside the body makes me feel like I'm walking down the stairs and missed a step. However, unfortunately, blood always finds a way to be beaten out of you, I thought, as I spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

_Down with the Bloody Red Queen…_ I thought madly. The shackles on my hands and feet clinked menacingly as I stared at the ground rather defeated. _Down with the Bloody Big Head…_

But it was no longer the Red Queen to be dealt with. It was _him_. Stayne- Knave of Hearts. Only now, he was no longer a knave. He called himself the Black King of Underland… or what was left of it. Nowhere in this barren blood-soaked land was there a joyful voice to be heard. It was a mistake for me not to have killed him when I had the chance… Stayne had become rather fond of power and had not let the fact he was chained to a bloody big head stop him. Of course, we should have probably monitored what happened to him, but everyone was so busy with futterwackening that no one knew where he and the Red Queen had gone off to in the Outerlands. Course, it wasn't until he had taken over Underland with a new beast at his side did we find the Red Queen's body. Who knew that one day it would be off with her bloody big head? Stayne was incontrovertibly ten million times worser as a ruler than the Red Queen had been. And at his right hand was an impossibly more cruel man than Stayne. He was known as the Bloody Butcher of Underland.

Compared to them, the Red Queen had been a lovely woman, giving those who opposed her a mere slap on the wrist; the Black King and the Butcher were much more violent. No one really knows how they took the power, but just that they are now supreme dictators of Underland. Species of animals and plants were becoming extinct as the tyrants set fire to Underland, slaughtering all who stood in their way. And the White Queen couldn't beat them. To beat them, she would have to lower to their level; there was no Jabberwocky to slay, there were no rules. All was madness. And the White Queen did not have a champion to stop them.

Alice. Alice had left; she left me, she left my friends, she left Underland. And now she was not here to step up to face the Black King…. Underland was lost to darkness.

Oh, we had tried fighting them. But what was left of the Red and White Queens' armies after the Frabjous Day was not enough to stop them. Stayne's army was comprised of all those who lived in the Outerlands, and worse yet, they actually agreed with his ideas. They were tired of living in the Outerlands, although no one even knew life existed out there. So they followed Stayne into battle willingly. They were creatures called Jabjookies, pygmy-like things, but much too much more frightening.

The Queen herself could not fight back. It was against her vows. And God help us all if she broke her vows, for if she did, Mirana would be dethroned. And though it's not doing Underland much good with her on the throne (no offense at all, Mirana is a wonderful ruler), we would all be much worse off without her.

The Black King has risen. No one was safe. Not even I… a mere hatter. I should've killed him when I had the chance; it would've saved so much bloodshed. And the thought that I could've stopped this was literally driving me mad, and not in a good way. The Black King had occupied the deserted Red Queen's castle, filling it with awful creatures of all sorts, and throwing prisoners in the dungeons… I am now a prisoner of war, kept in this filthy prison. At least when I was prisoner of the Red Queen, she had kept her cells rather clean. But no, the Black King's cells were coated in dried blood from deceased prisoners, and stinking corpses littered the floor, rotting before your very eyes. The Red Queen had been a seriously misunderstood person; she probably wouldn't have killed everyone in the world if she had had at least one friend when she was a little girl. But the Black King, he had no goal or endgame. He didn't secretly want to be loved deep down; he wanted blood. He wanted to kill. He would've done this all before if the Bloody Red Queen hadn't kept him on a short-ish-like leash.

And that wasn't all. I had been taken captive… for a terrible, terrible purpose. To lure Alice back to Underland. He was obsessed with Alice… _my_ _Alice_… **My**Alice? Since when had she been mine to claim? I shook my head, I must be going mad. But the Black King wanted Alice. He had gloated and admitted his plan to me himself before shackling and throwing me in the dungeon. Worst of all he had taken my hat. My beloved hat… maybe I should have given it to Chess… at least _he_ had evaporating skills. He had sent my hat to the Upperworld, as a message to Alice. I hoped with all my might she would not come, though I had been dreaming about her return since the moment she left. But now, now that I knew of Stayne's plan… I shuddered. He had told me awful things… horrible things. Things he planned to do to Alice when- _no, if!- _he caught her. I couldn't let him do those heinous things to her; I would die before I let that happen. Stayne was much more evil then he had first let on. In the Age of the Red Queen, I had dreamed about time before her rule. Now, however awful she had been, I dreamed of her rule during this even darker age. The Age of the Black King.

_Down! Down with the Bloody Black King!_

Alice POV

I sighed and gazed out the window. It's been three years. Three years since I had seen those vibrant green eyes, three years since I had heard that insanely wonderful laugh. I missed them all: Tarrant, Chessure, Mirana, McTwisp, even Mallyumpkin.

The trip to China had started then ended rather abruptly. Everything had been going perfectly; I had been on my way to China, to finish my father's dream, and then halfway to Hong-Kong, I had been called back. Lord Ascot was quitting the mad venture. It wasn't that he was a foul man or a hypocrite… it was that Hamish, his nasty brat of a son, had disappeared. We didn't know where he went; whether he had been kidnapped or if he had run away. He left no note, and there was not a sign as to where he had gone. Lord and Lady Ascot were devastated. Lady Ascot blamed me of course; I don't understand how it could've possibly been my fault. I was on a ship to China when he disappeared. Somehow, she had put it in her twisted mind that because I refused to marry her intestinally challenged son, he had vanished. I said she was batty, and not in the good way. However, the Ascots were in so much grief, that the venture to China had been stopped permanently.

I was still an apprentice, oh yes, a lot of bloody fun that was. I didn't actually _do_ anything. Lord Ascot didn't want to let me go from the company just because the mission to China wasn't going to work out because he was distraught, so he let me say on. But they didn't actually _have_ a job for me at all. I was _supposed_ to go to China; that was the _only_ job they had had for me, and now that that was gone, they didn't know what to do with me. It was a very boring non-adventurous business indeed.

It was days like these where I would pine for Underland. I missed it so much; it was like I had left a piece of my heart there, and that gaping hole in my heart was the most painful thing I could ever be inflicted with. Wherever I went, whatever I did, there was always a pair of bright green eyes staring at me in the back of my mind, whispering, _Why didn't you stay?_

And really, _why_ didn't I stay? Oh, that's right… because I had to tell Hamish that I didn't love him. I think it's interesting. Margaret had asked me all that time ago, even before I returned to Underland, that if I didn't want to marry Hamish, then who did I want to marry? I hadn't had an answer before, and I still don't know if I have one now. I just know that it feels like a pair of bright green eyes are always watching me… and I wish desperately that I could just turn around, and there he'd be. And I could run into his arms, and none of this would've ever happened. I had left without even giving him a hug goodbye. Even after all he had done for me. He had risked his life for me, back when I had battled the Jabberwocky. He had stabbed it in the tail, distracting it, and saving me from what would have been a fatal final blow. He had saved my life, more than once, and I didn't even give him a measly hug. After everything he had done for me, the _one_ thing he asked me to do, I didn't do. I should've stayed with him. Maybe that's why the pain in my heart is so severe… because I know that I need him, and that I owe him, and that I left him… and that causes the worst pain….

So here I sit alone in my room, all the walls stripped bare, all my bags still packed from the half-voyage to China. I failed my father… I failed to carry out his dream, his dream for me to dream big, and his dream for his company. I don't know what depression's supposed to feel like, but I'm pretty sure that this is pretty close. Margaret and Mother seem to be over extremely worried about me. I don't know why they're _that_ worried. I'm not too terribly sad… am I? I feel like I'm losing my muchness… that does make me sad. I dream about Underland all day, and that pair of bright green eyes… sometimes I don't even eat. I'm too distracted… too wistful. I never got to try any of the funny foods in Underland besides the wonderfuloferous tea _he_ made that one day. That and the March Hare's scones…

What I wouldn't give to go back to Underland… I feel like I'm on the brink of bursting into tears every time I drink a cup of tea. And every time I see a heart or something shaped like a heart, I shudder, remembering the perfect horridness of the Red Queen. And then, when my mother coaxes me into coming to social gatherings, and then there's dancing, I think of _him_, and how he futterwackened so wonderfully. I wish I could go back and dance with him. I miss them all… but I've made myself admit it: _he_'s the one I miss the most. And I'm not really sure why. They were all just as nice to me as he was. Then again, he did make me a beautiful dress using a scrap of lace in all about two seconds. But still… why is it that _he_'s always the one on my mind? Why is it that whenever I see a glimpse of orange out of the corner of my eye, I get excited and turn around, and believe it's him, even though I know it's impossible.

"_Only if you believe it is…"_

And even now, when I think about my friends in Underland, I feel tears threatening to spill from my eyes… all over a silly cup of tea. I can't even sit at my desk at *work* anymore without thinking of his silly answerless riddle… and every time I see a darkly colored bird I smile sadly, and think, "_Why is a raven like a writing desk?"_

I missed them all so terribly…

_Knock, knock, knock._

I groaned, turning to face the door from which a knock had emitted. I didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment, mainly because I didn't want Margaret or Mother to berate me on my gloomy behavior. I sighed and called,

"Who is it?"

"It's your mother," a voice called back to me. I made a face at the door; I didn't want to see her. She'd just pester me about marrying some Lord or Duke she found that would most probably have absolutely no imagination and would think that unanswerable riddles were improper.

"I will NOT meet another man you've found, if that's what you want, mother," I said to the door.

"Alice, dear, for once it's not that," she said, her voice muffled due to the fact I still hadn't opened the door for her yet.

"Well, then what?" I called back. There was a pause before she spoke again.

"Alice, there's been a package left at our front doorstep, and it's addressed to you," she said. "I haven't yet opened it, and seeing how it's your package, darling, I need you to come open it." I rolled my eyes. If this was another one of her ill attempts to get me to come out of my room. And almost like she was reading my mind, she said, "Alice, dear, this isn't a trick. I have the package right here in my arms." I sighed and got up from my chair, figuring I might as well see if there really was a package. Suddenly, I felt my head go rather dizzy and before I knew it, the room give an almighty lurch, and I found myself crashed on the floor with a yelp.

"Alice!?" cried my mother's voice. "Alice, are you alright?!" I winced, rubbing the hip that I had fallen on.

"I'm fine," I called out in a voice that didn't sound like mine at all. I crawled to my knees, though I was feeling very faint and weak. What was wrong with me? Where has my muchness gone?

"Are you sure dear?" she asked just as I reached the door. It shouldn't have been that draining to get up and walk across the room, and yet I felt like I had just run a marathon. I forced myself to grasp the doorknob and unlock it. I tried to pull it open, but it seemed so heavy. Doors aren't meant to be so heavy that they're unopenable. I frowned. The door hadn't been this heavy the last time I opened it. Then again, that had been a month and a half ago, and what with my not eating properly, either Margaret or Mother would open the door, bringing with them food of some sort, in hopes of tempting me to eat; for some reason, the only thing I ever actually felt like eating were scones with some tea... how odd. My frown deepened as I struggled to open the door. I wasn't really this weak was I?

Finally I managed to pull it open some, the effort nearly intolerable. I probably should've slept at least a little bit in the past month, or actually eaten a meal of some sort… I blinked through weary eyes at my mother who stood in the hall, clutching a relatively large round-like parcel in her hands. She was staring at me with great concern. I figured that it was because I looked like hell; I mean, I haven't looked at myself in a mirror for months. I don't care what I look like… I don't care about anything up here anymore. Except for Margaret and Mother of course, but I've been seeing them so little that it's almost like I've left them already. See, they still think that I'm sad because the trip to China didn't work out. I am terribly disappointed in that, but that's not what's haunting me. Those eyes…

"Alice?" my mother's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked once more and looked at her. A weary worried expression still was still etched on her face.

"Yes," I said. I haven't truly spoken in months, save for a few yes, no, and thank you's. It felt weird to be talking this much.

"Alice, dear, here's the package," she said holding out the box to me. I worked my arms, reaching up and taking the package from her. It was heavy, or maybe it wasn't, and I was just incredibly weak… Any who, somehow I managed to take the box from her, set it down on the floor in my room, then push the door shut and lock it again, giving my mother a muffled "thank you" through the wood. I waited until I could hear her walking down the hall again. Her footsteps eventually faded until I could hear them no more. I then turned to the odd box. Who would send me a package? I don't have an abundance of friends here in London… I grasped the box and lugged it over to my disheveled bed. I don't understand how it had become disheveled. I never slept in my bed if I ever slept at all. I set the box on top of the rumpled covers. It was wrapped in plain brown paper. I tilted my head looking at it. It was a circular shaped box, and I used my nails to tear through the wrapping paper. It fell away, revealing what looked like one of those boxes that rich fancy women keep their hats in. Hats… I swallowed back a dry sob. Such an unexpected awful reminder of him. I felt a hot tear run down my face and I hastily dashed it away with my hand. I shook my head. I was being silly. Upset by a mere hat box. I took a deep breath to settle myself, and carefully wrapped my fingers around the lid of the box. Slowly, I tugged off the top. Nothing could've prepared me for what I saw. For inside the box was Tarrant Hightopp- the Mad Hatter's hat, complete with the 10/6 sticking out of the ribbon wrapped around the base of the hat. My head started spinning. _Tarrant… _And before I could do anything, my world went black.

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what do you guys think? constructive critisism is welcomed, but please no flames. if you absolutely positively hate it, i am sincerely sorry that ive wasted your time... if you liked it, i encourage you to futterwacken! lord knows the world needs more happiness! :D


	2. Chapter 2

The White Queen's throne was empty, the usual occupant pacing the floor anxiously, awaiting for a certain dormouse's return. Though just as pale and beautiful as ever, Mirana's pure white hair hung lankly around her head, and there were even darker deeper circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Her usual whimsical princess-like poise was non-existent, and she hung her head and wrung her hands fretfully, wishing there was something she could do to stop the bloodshed of Underland.

The door at the end of the corridor was pushed open a fraction of an inch, barely noticeable, and yet the Queen's head snapped up, and she saw an extremely tiny mouse running toward her.

"Mallymkun!" cried the Queen and she rushed to her friend the Dormouse.

"Your Majesty!" said Mallymkun, running very hard to get across the long room. She was even smaller than usual, having drunk pishsalver to complete her mission. "It's just as you suspected! The Black King was the one who took Hatter; he has 'im locked in a dungeon, in the bowels of the Red Queen's castle."

"Did you find out why the Hatter is a captive? Why he is still alive?" Mirana asked worriedly, after all, the Hatter was a good friend of hers. The mouse's face darkened.

"Yes, but you're not going to like it," she said darkly as they reached each other and the Queen knelt to speak to Mallymkun. "I sneaked past the guards; I did, and found the Hatter just as Stayne was interrogatin 'im. He- well, he revealed why he had taken the Hatter…"

"Why is that?" asked Mirana urgently. "Mally this is very important; why did he take the Hatter?" The mouse looked up at the Queen and grimaced.

"He took 'im to lure Alice back to Underland," she said dismally. "Sent 'is hat up to the Upperworld, to tempt 'er to come back down 'ere."

"Oh dear…" Mirana breathed.

"That's not all, your Majesty," Mallymkun said, as though she was frightened as to what she was to next tell the Queen. Mirana looked at the mouse quizzically. Mally gulped and forced herself to say what she had to.

"Stayne- well… he started gloating to the Hatter about- well… um… Stayne's obsessed with Alice. In a bad way, a very bad way."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked gravely. "What did Stayne say to Tarrant?" The mouse had a sick look on her face, like she would rather be anywhere in the world then right here telling her of Stayne's plans.

"Well, ma'am," she started unpleasantly. "Stayne- well, he went very much into detail- to torture poor Hatter, I think. It was like he wanted to make the Hatter mad, an' not in the good way. He said that 'e was going to- um, well- _do _things to her. Unpleasant things. An' then he's going to force her to be 'is queen…" Mirana's eyes widened as she realized what Mally was saying.

"We have to warn Alice immediately," she said standing up abruptly. She reached inside a pocket of her dress and pulled out a tiny piece of cake and gave it to the mouse. Mallymkun took a bite, and then started to grow, until she was the proper size that a dormouse should be.

"Shall I fetch McTwisp to warn her?" Mally asked, looking up at the Queen.

"Yes," she replied. "And tell him to bring Absolem back down to Underland while he's up there. Make all haste, little Mallymkun; you've done well." And with that, the mouse was off and running again; they must warn Alice before it was too late. But alas, if she came anyways, they had better find her and bring her to Marmoreal before Stayne got to her.

Tarrant POV

Prison is not fun. Especially when you're in prison with no charges except the fact that you can lure a certain yellow-haired maiden back to Underland. Dear, dear Alice; I cannot wish this fate upon her. I would rather die a thousand deaths than have her captured. And in a way, I feel like I've already died inside. And it's not because I'm in a stinking prison now; it was like this before… right after Alice left. She could've stayed… maybe this would never have happened. Maybe the Dark King would've remained a knave…

It's silly isn't it? Whenever Underland is in chaos, it always seems to look to Alice for survival. To constantly be asked to save a world that you don't even remember you've been to before? The poor girl doesn't deserve that… no one deserves that. Especially not a girl as beautiful as Alice. Hmmm… the term girl doesn't seem to fit anymore, even though the first time I saw her back she was about two feet tall. As much as I am loath to admit it, she's grown up. She lost her muchness. And then she had it back! Her muchness was back! And she was as alive and beautiful and full of wonders! I could see a sparkle in her eye, and I could practically hear her mind wondering why a raven was like a writing desk.

I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't beaten the jabberwocky. Just the very thought of never seeing her lovely, shining face again makes me shudder. In my mind's eye, I saw her, pale, cold, unmoving. I could see her limp, lifeless body, never to drink tea with me again or try to answer unanswerable riddles. And those thoughts seemed so real, that after she left, it almost felt like they were real and that Alice really was… dead.

It began turning me mad, in the most awfulest of ways. I had started going into fits of rage, not even able to recognize my friends or where I was, or worst of all, who _I _was. McTwisp and Chess told me that my eyes began being amber all the time now, like I was finally starting to go _really_ mad. I didn't like it. I don't like this feeling. It's not pleasant. But I can't help it; I can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. It got so bad that one day I was really convinced that Alice was… dead, and that the Red Queen was still ruling. It was not a pretty sight. My favorite teapot had been reduced to dust, and I would've ripped my hat, my precious hat, to shreds if Chess hadn't saved it. To destroy my own hat! It was the only thing I had left of my clan… I actually have to thank Chess for saving it. Then again, maybe I should've destroyed it. Wouldn't have given Stayne anything to lure Alice back with.

Alice. I knew it was her from the moment I saw her. But my, she had grown up! Gone was the sweet little girl; here was the strong-willed woman. She had changed from adorable to beautiful. I found myself thinking of her more than anyone else. Mallymkun had gotten quite frustrated with me every time I wanted to talk about her. I didn't notice it, but apparently, she was all I ever wanted to talk about anymore. I've never been affected like this before by anyone. Even now in my prison cell, all I can think about is Alice. Then again, the reason I'm here is to get Alice, so I should be very worried about her. But I'm much more terribly worried then I have ever been before! And there's no Chessure to break me out now. I'm here alone, nothing but dead bodies for company. I never really thought about how I would die, but now that I am somewhat forced to think about it, I guess this is how I should've expected it. I am, after all, part of the rebellion, and those who are in the rebellion often meet bloody deaths. I don't know if there is a God, but I'm praying to Him now, _Please, please, please, please don't let Alice walk into Stayne's trap._

Alice POV

My head was pounding up a fierce storm. I groaned, my eyes fluttered open and I tried to remember what had happened. I was vaguely aware that I was lying on the floor_. How had I gotten there?_ I wondered. Oh right, I had passed out. Why had I passed out?…

_The hat_.

I blinked and sat up. I looked to my bed, and there it was, sitting atop the rumpled sheets. Tarrant's hat. _Tarrant's hat…_ The blood froze in my veins. How? I pulled myself to my feet with great difficulty, dimly noting how it had gone dark outside. How long had I been unconscious for? I looked to the box again. Tears escaped my eyes before I could stop them. It was _his _hat, my beloved Hatter's hat. _My_ beloved Hatter? Since when had he been mine to claim? I shook my head. I must be going batty.

With a gentleness that suggested I thought the hat would break apart at the slightest touch, I picked it up, delicately examining it. I smiled slightly with watery eyes as I traced the fabric with my fingers, rubbing my thumb over the burnt 10/6 card. I brushed dust off of the top fondly, turning it around, searching for some sort of note or indicator as to how this turned up on my family's doorstep. There was nothing. I frowned, and turned to the box, searching it frantically as well for a sign. It was as bare as the hat. I turned the hat over in my hands. Why would Tarrant send me his hat without a note? What did he mean by this? Maybe he wants me to come back to Underland to give him his hat back… a clever way of an invitation? That didn't seem like something Tarrant would do. How would he even know where I lived anyways? Oh right, McTwisp knows where I live; he could've easily told Tarrant. Or maybe, he didn't want me to come back at all. Maybe he wanted me to have a reminder of him. After all, he did tell me that I wouldn't remember him. How could I not remember him? His eyes haunt my every waking moment, and even in those rare hours of sleep, I can still see him. He's always saying the same thing. _You could stay…_ Why hadn't I stayed? Why! I frowned. This is why he should leave a note for me to read. He knows I look in to things too much.

I sighed. Even if the hat meant he wanted me to come back to Underland, how would I get there? Trek all the way to the Ascot's estate and hope to find the right rabbit hole to fall down? Actually, for the past week I had been contemplating trying to find a way back to Underland. Was there only one entrance? The question before had been whether I wanted to stay here or not. But I had realized something. The life I thought I had up here was nothing. Margaret and Mother already treated me like I was some sort of lifeless doll to be lugged around and wed to some uptight man. Up here, I lost my muchness. Muchness is the most important thing in the world. And I couldn't lose it. Not again. Whether the Hatter liked it or not, I was going to go back to Underland. I would find a way. I would keep searching until the day I died.

_Tap, tap, tap._

My head shot up as I heard a sharp rapping sound. I narrowed my eyes, squinting to see around my darkened room. _What was that_?

_Tap, tap, tap._

There it was again. I rose to my feet unsteadily. I looked around quizzically, trying to find the source. The tapping was coming from my window of our one story house, for it sounded like something was knocking on glass. I crept to the window and unlatched it, peering curiously into the night.

"_Down here!_" a voice hissed at me from below. I gasped and nearly toppled over in surprise. I looked down and there on our front garden was a familiar white rabbit. My mouth fell open.

"McTwisp?" I asked incredulously. "Is it really you!"

"Yes, yes, yes," the rabbit said impatiently, checking the pocket watch in his waistcoat. "Now stand aside." I did as he said, and before I could say a word, he took a great big leap, and hopped onto the window sill and into my room. He sniffed the air and looked around frantically, as though he was searching for something.

"Nivens," I said. "What is it?" As soon as I said that, he seemed to find what he was looking for and he froze, stock still, before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness," he breathed. "I got here just in time!"

"In time for what!" I demanded, feeling more and more annoyed at the rabbit. McTwisp looked at me before hopping over to my bed beside Tarrant's hat.

"It's a trick," he said looking at the hat. "You cannot come back to Underland." I frowned at him. Why did everyone from Underland always think that they could tell me what to do and who I must be?

"No," I told him fiercely. "I'm going back. I should've never left."

"Alice, you don't understand!" he said twisting his paws together nervously. "The Hatter didn't send you his hat!" My heart froze in my chest.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked slowly, having a feeling I was going to regret the answer. He swallowed nervously.

"Since- since you've been gone, terrible awful things have happened," he said quietly.

"What type of awful things? Mirana is still on the throne, right?" I asked.

"Well, yes," McTwisp replied. "But a new power has risen against her. A power so bloody and awful, that the only way to beat it is to lower to its level. By lowering to its level, the Queen would be breaking her vows not to harm any living creature, and she would be dethroned. It would be handing Stayne Underland on a silver platter."

"Wait a second, did you say Stayne?" I asked urgently. McTwisp gulped and nodded again.

"He gathered an army comprised of Outerlanders-"

"Outerlanders?" I interrupted him. "I thought there was no life in the Outerlands."

"Apparently there is," Nivens finished. "And they've followed Stayne into war. He has a man at his right hand side who's possibly even crueler than he is. The Bloody Butcher."

"Oh dear," I said clutching a hand over my mouth. One with such a fearsome name could only bring terror to Underland.

"Stayne- he's taking over Underland, calling himself the Black King. He's occupied the Red Queen's old castle, which has been deserted ever since you slay the Jabberwocky," Nivens said.

"Is the Red Queen helping him take over?" I asked.

"No, oh dear no," Nivens said. "It was only after he rose to power did we find her bloody big head. She's dead, Alice. Stayne killed her in cold blood to set himself free." I swallowed back bile that had risen in my throat. _Off with her head…_

"But, Nivens," I said a question in my mind. "What in the world does this have to do with Tarrant's hat?" I asked him. He looked away from me, like he didn't want to say what was next. "Nivens?"

"Well, that's the reason I'm here. The Black King captured the Mad Hatter. He sent you his hat to lure you back to Underland." I stared at him. Tarrant… Tarrant was in prison?

"Is he alright? Is he hurt?" I asked urgently feeling like a hand was squeezing my heart, mocking me, telling me that if he was hurt it was my fault.

"Mallymkun managed to sneak in and out of the Black King's castle. She said that he's still alive," said Nivens, suddenly very interested in his feet.

"But is he okay? Did they hurt him?" I asked a little more fiercely. Nivens averted his eyes from mine.

"Apparently, he's been battered pretty badly, but nothing life threatening… just painful," he said. I felt like a dull blow had hit my stomach. Tarrant was in pain… because of me. I grimaced, suddenly feeling very nauseated. The one person, who had understood me the most in the world, was in a prison, being beat, because of me.

"We have to rescue him!" I said ardently, my mind was set. If I was sure of going back to Underland before, that was nothing compared to now. I had to save Tarrant.

"No, no, no, no," Nivens said nervously. "The reason I'm here is because the White Queen is ordering you to stay here. We cannot have you come back to Underland, or horrid things could happen."

"Horrid things?" I asked. "Nivens, why does Stayne want to lure me back to Underland anyways?" The rabbit looked nauseated. "Nivens, what is it?"

"Well- um, the Black King- he's, um, rather obsessed with you. He wants to kidnap you and force you to be his Queen." I blinked. Stayne? I knew he had fancied me after I had eaten the upelkuchen, but I thought that was just because there was someone who was finally taller than him. Obsessed though?... I still don't care. I don't care if I go to Underland and die there; I was going to save Tarrant.

"But, now that I know his plan, we can evade him, and I can help you fight him! I need to save Tarrant. It's my fault he's in there in the first place. Now, whether you help me find my way back or not is your choice. But know that even if you don't help me, I will find my way back, even if I must go by my lonesome. And if I go by myself without your help, there's more of a chance of me getting captured. So it's up to you Nivens. Help me or don't." Nivens looked rather frightened. I knew he was struggling to accomplish his mission of being sent here to stop me, but I was feeling much more muchier and nothing, not even Nivens, could stop my muchness. Eventually, he sighed, defeated.

"Fine," he grumbled. I gave what seemed like half a smile, before it slipped off my face, and I became quite serious.

"Where's the fastest way into Underland?" I asked him, hoping that it wasn't at the Ascot's manor.

"You want to leave right away? Right now?" he asked surprised. I nodded fiercely.

"The more time I spend here, the more time the Hatter spends in a prison cell," I said determined. "We're leaving. _Now_." He sighed again.

"Very well," he said hopping up onto the window sill again. "Come on." He motioned for me to follow him. I paused.

"One second," I told him turning to my writing desk and pulling out a quill and paper. "I have to do something first." He sat on the ledge, impatiently tapping his pocket watch as I wrote a note on a scrap piece of paper.

_Dear Mother and Margaret,_

_Don't worry where I've gone. I've not run away, but I will never be back. It feels like I've already left you, as soon as I came back from the voyage to China. I know both of you have noticed how distant and sad I've been. I know that for the past months, I've been like the living dead. But that was because I missed this place I had been to in my dreams, and that's where I've gone to now. You can try to look for me, but I guarantee that you won't be able to find your way here. I love you both so much. Margaret, keep a sharp eye on Lowell. Mother, I __**am**__ finding something useful to do with my life. I love you both._

_Fairfarren,_

_ Alice_

I straightened up, folding up the note and setting it in the middle of the desk.

"Ready," I told him. He nodded and hopped out the window. Giving my room one last look, I grabbed the Hatter's hat, then turned and clambered up and over the ledge, dropping easily onto my feet on the cold dewy grass. The white rabbit started hopping off down the streets of London, and I followed, cold air rushing at my face as I ran along. I was finally leaving. I was going back to Underland.


	3. Chapter 3

Alice POV

It was in the early hours of the morning, and I still had no idea where Nivens was leading me. He had led me through a wood, over a bridge, and across a stream. I had managed to get through the woods and over the bridge fine, but when it came to the stream, I had a bit of trouble. It was freezing cold, and I was wearing nothing more than a powder blue nightgown, stained and unkempt for, with no leggings. I probably should have grabbed a jacket or at least some shoes when I jumped out the window. The bottoms of my feet were raw and red from trekking through the forest. I winced as I dipped a toe in the icy water.

"It there any other way across?" I asked Nivens. He shook his head no.

"The only other way to Underland besides the rabbit hole at the Ascot's is right over this stream and in the woods across," he said, having already hopped across using his rabbit abilities to balance on the stepping stones. The stones, however, were set far too much apart for me to use, for I did not have the leaping abilities Nivens possessed. I made a face at the water. If it meant getting back to Underland, then so be it. I tossed Tarrant's hat across like a Frisbee, then forced myself to put one foot into the freezing cold water, gasping as my skin made contact with it. I unwillingly put one foot in front of the next. It was so cold, my teeth were chattering and I was powerless to stop it. Slowly, I began to wade across the stream, holding my skirt up so as not to get it terribly wet. That, however, became inconsequential when my foot slipped on a rock on the stream's bottom, and I toppled over into the bitter arctic water. I gave a yelp of surprise, scrambling to get across the stream. Of course, I would be the one to fall over into a creek and get completely sopping wet with wintry water. My teeth were chattering even more violently as I pulled myself onto the shore of the other side of the creek. I glared at Nivens. He looked at me apologetically as I wrung water out of my hair and dress. Much help it was going to do me now; I was sure to get hypothermia by the time the sun rose to dry me off.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm fine," I said sarcastically to him, shaking my head like a dog, consequentially spraying him with water. He yelped and tried to get out of the line of fire and I smirked. He huffed at me and starting hopping away. I rolled my eyes and followed him, picking up the hat as I went, desperately rubbing my hands together to warm them up. I looked around at where we were going. It was a wood of some sort, with trees towering high above us, limbs thick with pine needles. "Where are we going, Nivens?" I asked.

"It's the only other entrance to Underland, right up ahead," he replied.

"Is it another rabbit hole?" I questioned.

"No," he said shortly. I waited; he said nothing.

"Care to elaborate?" I asked him.

"Just wait and see," was all he said. I sighed and continued following him, wincing as I stepped on a particularly sharp twig. I really should have worn shoes. We walked in silence for a minute or two, and then-

"Here we are," said Nivens, halting in front of an exceptionally gnarled tree. There was a gaping hole in the trunk, like the wood had been hollowed out. I stared at it for a second.

"This is the other entrance? It's always to do with trees and holes, isn't it?" I said thoughtfully to myself. I turned to face Nivens and ask him about the tree, but he wasn't there. I whirled around looking for him, but it was as if he had vanished. I rolled my eyes. Into the tree then…

I walked up to the hole in the tree and leaned forward, trying to see how far down it went. Knowing that if this was the way to Underland, it was most likely bottomless. I squinted into the blackness. I couldn't see anything; it was just like a black pit. I sighed. Might as well get on with it. I leaned in, closing my eyes and clutching Tarrant's hat to my chest, and then let myself fall forward. As I expected, I hit no bottom of the tree. I opened my eye, and felt myself falling, and falling, and falling. And then, I couldn't take it anymore, the swooping sensation in my stomach was too much; I opened my mouth, and let out a scream. This was just like the first time; as I fell I saw roots sticking out of the dirt walls, and all sorts of objects flew past me. A broken clock, a teapot which was whistling sinisterly, great giant books of all sorts, their pages flapping in the wind, a bright pink and white birthday cake, a triangle of cheese, a rather large lamp, flickering on and off, and a big black old fashioned safe with a large combination lock on it. I screamed, unable to help myself, and clutched to Tarrant's hat as though it was a lifeline. I waited and waited and waited for the falling to stop, the whooshing in my ears rather sickening. At least my dress was getting dried off. _Let it stop, let it stop, let it stop…_

And then, rather suddenly, I crashed through a brick wall, which was assumingly the bottom of the hole, and into a completely black room. I sat up, my head hitting the ceiling, which was actually _not_ the ceiling. As soon as I realized that this was like before and that I was sitting on the ceiling, I fell, gravity righting itself. I landed on the floor with an _oomph_ and sat up, rubbing my arm that I had fallen on. I blinked, looking around. This was definitely not the same room as my last trip to Underland. This room was completely devoid of all color, but for a brown door at the end of a corridor, for it turns out that this was not a room at all, but a fairly long hallway. I dragged myself to my feet. And looked around. What was I supposed to do? I didn't see any upelkuchen or pishalver, nor was there any tiny door to get through. I shrugged my shoulders and walked down the corridor. It was a long corridor, and the longer I walked, the further away the door seemed to get. I frowned. I broke into a run, but the door kept getting smaller and smaller, and I kept getting further away. I was annoyed now. Suddenly I had a nonsensical idea. What if, you had to walk backwards to get to the door? I grinned. That would be exactly what Underland would come up with. I took a step back. The door got closer. I took another step back. The door got bigger. I smiled wildly and started running backwards with all of my might, and the door more and more near, until I was not an arm's length away. I congratulated myself for thinking like a madman.

I leaned forward studying the door. It didn't look like it was made out of wood. I reached out and touched it. It was extremely smooth and soft. I crouched down looking for some sort of sign or note to tell me what to do. There was nothing. I frowned again, pulling my hand away. There was something on my hand. I held it up to examine. There on my fingertips, were melted smudges of what appeared to be chocolate. I blinked and looked at the door. I leaned forward and sniffed it. Yep, definitely chocolate. I grinned. A door made of chocolate? Well, I suppose I know now how to get through it.

Suddenly, a little box appeared at my feet. I looked down in surprise before picking it up and tearing it open. Inside was a little piece of cake that said,

_Eat me._

I smiled. Upelkuchen. I pulled out the piece with no hesitation, and took a large bite. I set it back in the box and put the box on the ground. I waited, and before I knew it, I started growing. I was shooting up toward the ceiling now and I raised my arms above my head to protect my head from crashing against the ceiling. I waited for an impact, but it never came. I opened my eyes and lowered my arms, looking up. Amazingly, the ceiling had decided to grow with me. I looked down, I had finally stopped growing. The door was now the size of a bar of chocolate. I smiled and licked my lips, leaning down and grasping the door, pulling it out of the wall. I stuck it in my mouth, and chomped down. It was delicious chocolate, the most delicious I've ever tasted. Before long, the door was gone. I knelt down, trying to look through the doorway. Beyond I could see the weird colorful plants of Underland.

Suddenly, a tiny bottle appeared by my foot. I picked it up with two fingers. On it was a tag that read,

_Drink me._

I grinned at the pishsalver, and uncorked it, gulping down a little bit. Before I knew it, I was shrinking, and soon I was my normal Alice-size. I smiled sadly thinking of how Tarrant would rant that I was finally normal sized. I shook my head, clearing it of those morose thoughts. I looked through the door in front of me, prepared for whatever Underland could throw at me.


End file.
